The Korean government on Tuesday introduced guidelines to regulate the thickness of the fat in samgyeopsal, the popular pork belly cut widely enjoyed at barbeques.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affair guidelines, the fat in pork belly cuts should be less than 1 centimeter thick.

This decision follows public criticism over excessively fatty pork belly sold at some local discount stores on March 3 last year, known as "Samgyeopsal Day" in Korea, a day when the pork belly strips are promoted for half price.

The government has now shared these guidelines with key players in the livestock industry, including the Korea Meat Industries Association and major discount store chains.

These guidelines mark the government's first effort to establish quality management standards for pork. According to the government, it collaborated with the livestock industry to formulate these guidelines.

Meanwhile, the government is also considering a new grading system for pork.

Unlike beef, which has a well-established grading system in Korea, pork has faced criticism for its less stringent grading system, which only considers weight and fat thickness. The current system lacks evaluation of factors such as taste, meat color and consumer preference, according to industry sources.

Additionally, there is no mandatory labeling of the different grades, making it challenging for consumers to assess pork quality.